Heels Up Half Marathon & Relay

Set for its third annual running as winter is transitioning to spring here in northwest Louisiana, the Heels Up Half Marathon & Relay takes runners on a route that organizers say is “challenging but beautiful,” and for a cause that will touch the heart of everyone who participates.

That’s because the race will benefit Purchased: Not for Sale, a Shreveport-based ministry that works to rescue women and children from trafficking, and give them housing resources to lift themselves out of the industry permanently. Every dollar raised from the race will go toward the women they help.

Runners will start the out-and-back course for the race at Greenleaf Park in Shreveport’s Provenance neighborhood, along Woodberry Avenue.

From there, the race heads west along Southern Loop and south along Par Road 153, to the Southern Trace community, where you’ll encounter some of the hilliest stretches of the race. as you run past beautiful luxury homes alternating with lakes and wooded areas.

After making your way around the neighborhoods there, you’ll head back to Greenleaf Park for the race finish.

No fewer than 8 aid stations will be located out on the course with water and sports drinks, organizers say, and the race will be chip-timed.

Photos courtesy Heels Up Half Marathon

Race Weather & Climate

Nestled along the Red River in northwest Louisiana, just over a 320-mile drive from New Orleans, Shreveport typically sees March temperatures between the mid-40s and the low 70s, while rainfall totals average just over 4 inches for the month.